Frank Farnsworth, Econ Professor, Dies; Was 90

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, News

Thu, Feb 04, 2010

Frank Farnsworth, who graduated from Colgate in 1939 and returned a few years later to join the faculty of the Economics Department, is being remembered as a helpful colleague and a man interested in entrepreneurship. He died Saturday at his son's home in Brandon, VT. He was 90.

Dr. Farnsworth earned his degrees from Colgate University (AB) and Harvard University (AM, PhD).

A spokesman for the Miller & Ketchum Funeral Home in Brandon said Dr. Farnsworth requested his body be donated to medical science. He also said the family will be holding a memorial service, but no date or location has been set.

During part of his career at Colgate, Dr. Farnsworth also owned and operated the Poolville Country Store as a small, general store. He used the store to teach students many of the practical applications of things they learned in their classes. Dr. Farnsworth was also interested and involved in local economic development.

Dr. Farnsworth was also a Fulbright Professor at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration; and during World War II, he instructed naval units at Colgate in both navigation and physics.

Oswald Honkalehto was a colleague of Dr. Farnsworth's in the Economics Department for many years. He recalls Dr. Farnsworth, was taught at Colgate from 1941 to 1987 -- as a helpful mentor and someone who often welcomed colleagues and students into his home for group meals and discussions.

"He was a very helpful collgeaue," said Honkalehto, who joined the Colgate faculty in 1962 after receiving his PhD from MIT. "I was new when he was a senior member of the staff, and he played a mentoring role for me."

Honkalehto added, "One of the things I remember is how he use to invite students to the house on a regular basis for informal chats. He and his wife would put together a meal -- and collageaues were invited too -- and sit around and chat."

Honkalehto said Dr. Farnsworth is the latest of a generation of Colgate economists to pass. Both Lester Blum and Robert Freedman died in recent years.

Lester Blum died Nov. 8, 2007. Professor of economics emeritus, he arrived at Colgate in 1947. Dr. Blum taught economics until his retirement in 1984.

Robert Freedman died Sept. 3, 2007. He joined the Colgate faculty in 1950 and taught economics until his retirement in 1987.

Dr. Farnsworth is survived by his children, Frank (CU’74) of Brandon, Vermont, Ruth Eldridge of Clay Springs, Arizona, and John of Bonita Springs, Florida; his stepchildren, John Martire (CU’78) and Amy Martire both of the Greater Boston Area, Massachusetts, and Beth Cutter of Ithaca, New York; and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Ruth Coburn, his second wife, Elizabeth “Libby” Martire, and daughter, Nancy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ruth Coburn Farnsworth Scholarship Fund through the Stewardship Office at Colgate.

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